Pheasants, Fellowship And Fine Ale In Dorset

At Daggans the bag is second to camaraderie, as Dominic Prince discovers when he spends a day with this close-knit syndicate

Daggans shoot is a sort of family affair drawing its members from the beautiful village of Cranborne in east Dorset. They shoot over 600 acres of pristine arable land that they rent from a local farmer who is a tenant of the estate. There are ponds, woodland and rolling hills that embrace the landscape.

I say sort of because all the members are friends who live or work in the village or surrounding area; some are related, some not but there is a strong sense of camaraderie. This fellowship has its roots in the local pub, the Sheaf of Arrows located in the centre of Cranborne, where the syndicate meets more or less daily to discuss the “progress” of the shoot. In reality, most admit they meet to drink generous quantities of beer under the guise of holding discussions on whose turn it is to feed and who should be doing what.

The Cranborne estate has its own partridge shoot but that is a separate, grander affair to the Daggans pheasant shoot, which is run by a close-knit team who all muck in together. If you have never been to Cranborne, you should do. It is a near-perfect English village with a good shop and bakery, two pubs, a garden centre connected to Cranborne Manor, a restaurant, a church and a hall.